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5 Common Mistakes When Buying A Used Car (And How to Avoid Them)

Oct 08, 2018 11:00 am

Did you know that the average age of a car on the road is 11 years? Used cars are a valuable commodity, lasting years with proper care!

And with the price of new vehicles soaring, a good quality used car just makes sense. But remember, buying a car, new or used, is a complex process. It's important that you keep a level head and not buy your new car or truck based on excitement alone.

Why turn excitement to turn into buyer's remorse? So how can you keep that from happening? Here are our 5 tips for making a wise investment, one that pays you back for years to come.

1. Becoming Infatuated with a Particular Model

Forget about becoming infatuated with one single model. Take a wide-eyed approach. Decide in advance what you need and then work from there. Compare models and base your decisio...

Harrisonburg Chevrolet Automotive Service Center: What You May Not Know

Sep 24, 2018 11:00 am

Whether you buy a brand new Chevrolet or Cadillac or you buy a quality used vehicle from Joe Bowman Auto Plaza, here's something you may not know.

Our certified Chevrolet mechanics can service every vehicle we sell! Our mechanics are highly qualified with additional GM and Cadillac certifications, which requires that they must go through specific classes and training.

GM also updates our service team regularly on emerging issues, so they can stay ahead of the curve. So how does that help you if you've bought a used car from us?

Call it the trickle down effect, but knowledge is power. Whatever our techs learn about GM and Cadillac vehicles is very helpful in servicing all vehicles. It keeps our mechanics sharp, curious, and always searching for the right answers to mechanical challenges.

Oil Changes: Would You Believe These Are Severe Driving Conditions?

Some good advice adages die hard. In the mechanical world, one of the biggest myths is that a vehicle needs to have the oil changed every 3,000 miles.

That WAS very good advice many years ago. But even the best of advice can become antiquated.

"There was a time when the 3,000 miles was a good guideline," says Philip Reed, a senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. "But it's no longer true for any car bought in the last seven or eight years."

If your used truck or car is older than that, you might want to stick to the 3,000 mile adage. Otherwise, the advice today is to follow your owner's manual.

But there's one caveat. You must determine your daily typical driving pattern. The Filter Manufacturers Council found that only about 20% of vehicles are driven under mild or norma...

9 Pro Car Cleaning Tips That Extend the Life of Your Car

No one has to tell you that your car is an investment! That's why you want to do everything you can to protect and extend its life.

You've got to perform regular maintenance to keep your vehicle running smoothly. And if you want to keep it looking like new, you have to clean the interior and exterior.

What do the pros do? Here are 9 car care tips they swear by!

Wash Your Vehicle with the Right Suds

Don't assume that dishwashing liquid is the right cleaner for your car! Yes, it's a great degreaser for dishes, not for vehicles. Not only will it remove dirt, grease, and old wax, but it also sucks out the oils from your car's finish.

Using dishwashing liquid repeatedly will shorten the life of your car's paint job. Instead, use a cleaner formulated for washing vehicles. Check an auto parts sto...

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it should be a duck, right? Well, not always.

According to Carfax, mileage rollback, or the illegal act of changing the mileage readings on a vehicle to make it appear to have lower mileage, is one of the most frequent types of fraud in the used car selling process.

For example:

• Disconnecting or resetting the odometer• Altering or changing the numbers• Replacing the odometer without providing notice

Sneaky, huh? So how can you protect yourself from getting ripped off when you buy a car privately? Here are 7 ways to make a safe used car purchase.

7 Ways to Keep from Getting Ripped Off When Your Buy Privately

1. Compare Mileage Readings. The very first step to protecting yourself from odometer fraud is to compare the odome...

Bad Credit Auto Financing: How to Buy A Car with Poor Credit

If your credit history is "bumpy" or you're recovering from a bad credit, you've no doubt seen ads like the one below.

"Bad credit? No Credit? No Problem!"

And it's true. You can buy a vehicle is your credit history has been rocky. The problem with these types of Harrisonburg auto loans is the interest rate. They're outrageous.

And that's the problem. High interest rate car loansmake it difficult to build any equity, much less recover from a poor credit rating. Plus, some bad credit specialists will saddle you with a loan that's designed to fail, resulting in repossession of the vehicle.

Why? For the disreputable dealer, repos are a significant source of income.

Getting A Decent Car Loan When You Have A Bad Credit History

The first step in getting a good auto loan is to know your credit s...

3 Harrisonburg Auto Dealership Myths That Just Aren't True

Jul 24, 2018 11:00 am

Where do Harrisonburg VA residents go to buy the majority of their vehicles? A Harrisonburg auto dealership. As true as that statement is, there are still a lot of myths about buying a vehicle from a dealership.

We thought we'd tackle the three biggest dealership myths right here!

Myth #1: Go to an auto dealership on holidays and rainy days.

The widely held perception is that the best time to buy a vehicle from a dealer is on holidays and rainy days. The belief is that those are lighter days for the dealership, so the sales rep will be more motivated to sell.

That can be true, but other buyers are having that same thought! That's why holidays and rainy days are actually busy days.

The best time to buy varies according to the dealership and the city, but generally speaking, here are th...

Whether you have spotless credit, credits with "bumps," or you're in the process of repairing a bad credit history, we can offer you some of the best car financing rates in the area.

Because Joe Bowman Auto Plaza has been in business for 60+ years, we have an excellent reputation with local lenders, and with the community at-large. Additionally, we have a large network of lending institutions we work with.

If we can't find a competitive rate for you locally, we'll find it elsewhere!